In many situations, noise is generated on horizontal surfaces such as floors or road surfaces due to various impacts. This noise often propagates into surrounding structures creating undesirable noise and vibration pollution. For example, a truck passing over a road generates impact noise. Such impact noise typically travels through the road and then to adjacent structures. Likewise, machinery, which vibrates during use, often results in impact and/or vibrational noise passing through the floor and into adjacent structures. Similarly, locomotives and railcars passing over tracks generate impact and vibrational noise, which passes into the ground and potentially into adjacent structures such as homes, roads or bridges. Mitigating impact and vibrational noise generated by locomotives and railcars is especially problematic due to the relatively large axle loads of locomotives and railcars on the tracks.
As mentioned above, impact noise and vibrations generated under the above and similar conditions is undesirable due to the noise and vibration pollution created in adjacent and surrounding structures. As will be appreciated, it is desirable to mitigate the affects of impact and vibrations on surrounding structures.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel noise and vibration mitigating mat.